


The Best Nurse in Pawnee

by AliceMayWrite



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Sickfic, lots of sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:54:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25051243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliceMayWrite/pseuds/AliceMayWrite
Summary: Ann is sick. Leslie is worried. Ron is there.
Relationships: Leslie Knope & Ann Perkins, Leslie Knope & Ron Swanson
Kudos: 3





	The Best Nurse in Pawnee

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure where this idea came from tbh but I think they've got a really wholesome friendship.  
> Like 10% of me wanted them to be a couple in the actual show but then we wouldn't have the glorious Ben Wyatt, so.

Ann realised that she didn’t feel well approximately thirteen minutes into she and Leslie’s supposed all-night movie marathon.  
It had come on slowly. That morning, she had felt a slight tickle at the back of her throat, coupled with an _ever so slight_ ache at the back of her head. She brushed it off as simply tiredness- this was her first weekend off in about three weeks; she had been working back to back due to the flu season.  
Leslie, on the other hand, was full of energy, as she had only just recovered from her flu stint. It had been a stressful few days, what with her refusing to get help and Ann forcefully giving it to her, but now they were at the stage where Leslie was clear-headed enough to know how irresponsible she had been.  
Successful speech or not, Ann had had some choice words to give her when she had sheepishly returned to the hospital.

All of that was water under the bridge, however, and they had quickly agreed to a movie night to celebrate the successes of the week. They stopped off at the store for snacks, and Leslie had told Ann in detail about how Ben had made her chicken soup. They had giggled for a good five minutes while looking for some wine, and Ann ignored the persistent thumping that was starting to drill the back of her brain. She was just tired.

They returned to Ann’s house about half an hour later.  
“It’s a shame Ben’s gone to visit his parents this weekend,” Leslie said, sticking out her bottom lip.  
“More time for you to spend with me then,” Ann replied teasingly. Leslie grinned.  
“I’m so excited, Ann! It’s been too long since we’ve done this!”  
“Agreed!”  
“How about you pick first then?” Leslie asked. Ann raised her eyebrows.  
“Wow. Usually you’re desperate to show me a film from your top one hundred!”  
“Not tonight!” Leslie was grinning as she poured popcorn into a bowl. “Tonight, you choose!”

Ann settled on a film she knew they both liked. She was feeling really tired now and was quite glad that Leslie also seemed eager for a chill evening. It felt as if over the last half an hour, her body was getting more and more heavy.  
“Hey, Leslie?” Ann murmured.  
“Hm?” Leslie replied, her eyes glued to the screen.  
“I might get a glass of water, you want anything?”  
Leslie dragged her eyes away from the screen and looked at Ann, and suddenly her eyes were wide.

“Oh my gosh, Ann! You look really pale, are you okay?”  
“I’m fine,” Ann insisted. “I’m just tired. Don't think I've had a day off in the last millenia.”  
She stood up, eager to get a drink, but then Leslie was rising with her, a hand on her arm.  
“Are you sure?”  
Leslie brought her hand up and felt Ann’s forehead, and Ann relished the brief but comforting gesture as her cool hands pressed against her head. She shut her eyes for a second, opening them only when Leslie removed her hand.  
“Honey,” Leslie murmured. “You’re burning up. You’re like really hot, and I mean warm hot and not attractive hot like you usually are. I think you should sit down.”

Then she disappeared from her line of sight, and Ann turned her head to see that she had gone to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Her head felt really heavy now, and she swallowed thickly.  
It felt like nanoseconds before Leslie had returned, and her hand was back on Ann’s arm.  
“Ann?” she asked, but her voice was far away. “Do you think you can sit down for me?”  
Ann nodded, but then she could feel her vision tunneling, and before she knew it, she was falling forwards and into Leslie’s arms.

***

Leslie knew Ann was going to pass out just a few seconds before her eyes (quite freakishly) rolled back into her head, so she caught Ann quite smoothly. However, she didn’t account for the sudden extra weight, which is how she lost her balance, meaning that the two of them ended up with Leslie narrowly avoiding whacking her head on the coffee table as they fell to the floor together.

“Ann?” Leslie asked frantically, sitting up so she could cradle her limp best friend. She tapped her cheeks a few times. “Can you hear me?”  
Ann was totally out of it, her face now paler than ever. Also, she was still boiling.  
Leslie panicked for a second, before remembering that she, as Ann’s best friend in the whole world, couldn’t lose her head now.  
Instead, she gathered Ann up in her arms and managed to plonk her on the sofa.

_“Think, Leslie, think!”_

She ran to the kitchen and found an ice pack in the freezer, before wrapping it in a tea towel and returning to Ann. She placed it on her head, hoping it was wrapped tightly enough to not be uncomfortable. Then she stacked up some cushions on one end of the sofa and elevated Ann’s legs to get the blood back to her head.  
She turned off the film and moved the coffee table out the way so she could pace around, but then after thirteen seconds of that, she heard a soft moan.  
Leslie knelt down next to the couch, removing the ice pack as Ann blinked wearily up at her.

“Leslie?” she mumbled.  
“Hey! I’m glad to see you awake again. Are you okay?”  
“I’m not sure… I think so?”  
Leslie retrieved the glass of water from the coffee table and helped Ann sit up slightly so she could drink it. She rubbed her shoulder comfortingly, trying not to burst out into stressed tears.  
“What happened?” Ann asked once Leslie had put the empty glass on the table.  
“You fainted,” Leslie explained. “I had to sort of catch you, and then we sort of fell over. I hope you’re not bruised.”  
“I’m fine,” Ann replied instantly. If she got a few little bruises from that, there was no way she would tell Leslie. The woman would probably never forgive herself.

“Ann, you’re a nurse, what should I do?”  
“I’m okay now, I think,” Ann promised. “I think I just need to sleep.”  
Leslie helped her stand up, putting one hand on her back and leading her into the bedroom. She fussed over her for a while, getting her more water and paracetamol and extra pillows.  
“I’m sorry that I’ve ruined movie night,” Ann quietly said to her. Leslie made a comforting sound.  
“No, no, it’s fine!” She made a show of plumping up the pillows. “Get some sleep, I’ll just be in the other room if you need me. Are you sure you have everything you need? Do you need anything else?” Ann rolled her eyes fondly.  
“Leslie, honestly, I’m fine.”

***

“Ron? Come on- pick up. Pick up!”  
Leslie sat on the sofa biting her nails. It had been three minutes since she left Ann to get some sleep, and it had taken one of those three minutes before she started freaking out entirely.  
Ron answered after four rings. He didn’t say hello, like a normal person, rather just breathed out loudly into the receiver to let her know he was there.  
“Thank god you’re here,” Leslie practically yelled, before forcing herself to be quiet.  
“What’s wrong?”  
“Ann fainted.”  
“Is she alright?” Ron asked, alarmed.  
“ She says she’s fine but I think she’s sick and now I’m freaking out!”  
“If she says she’s fine then she’s fine,” Ron said after a short moment. Leslie took in a sharp, quick breath, much like how she would do if Ann told her to breathe deeply. Ron sighed.  
“If it gets any worse,” he said after a pause. “Ring me again and I’ll come and… help. Sound good?”  
“Ron, thank you,” Leslie replied, relieved. “Honestly, thank you.”  
“Just hang tight. I know you’ll do whatever you can to help her. I’m sure she trusts you.”

Leslie hung up soon after that, feeling a little better now she knew that she had Ron on standby for if things got worse. Really, he was the best option- Chris would inevitably freak out and worry he was going to get sick if he was told. April and Andy would be no help, what with April (supposedly) hating Ann and Andy being, well, Andy. Ben was out of town and Donna and Tom were at the Snakehole doing god knows what. And Jerry, well… he was probably doing something Jerry related- that was best left as an unexplored avenue.

Leslie thought all of these factors over for a while, before deciding to tidy the house. There was spilled popcorn on the floor from where she had pushed the coffee table out of the way in the panic. Not only that, but there was a steady layer of mess from Ann having had no time to chill out for the past few weeks. Leslie may not have the tidiest house in the world, but she was a strong believer in “tidy house, tidy mind.” It just so happened that her own mind was a constant mess- that didn’t mean that Ann’s had to be, too.

She soon found that the methodical act of tidying was great for helping her work through her pent-up frustrations. She wasn’t _quite_ sure who she was annoyed at just yet- more like annoyed at the situation. Ann had worked herself too hard and gotten sick.  
Leslie wasn’t sure if she was more annoyed by the fact that Ann had had to work that hard in the first place, or the fact that she had blatantly pulled a Knope! She had done the thing Ann herself berated Leslie for, and that just made Leslie feel sad inside. And worried.

***

Leslie was brought out of her tangled thoughts after the third dusting she had done of the ornaments on Ann’s beautiful shelf, when she heard coughing come from the bedroom. Leslie hurried over and knocked timidly on the door. When there was no answer, she simply decided to swing the door open, wincing as it banged loudly against the wall. She was disheartened to see Ann sat up in bed, coughing into the crook of her arm.

“Aw, hey,” Leslie mumbled as she hurried over, getting the glass from the bedside table and bringing it to Ann’s lips, another hand on her back. She smiled a little once Ann was drinking deeply and the coughing stopped.  
“How are you feeling?” Leslie asked, turning on the bedside lamp to get a better look at Ann, who looked only slightly less brilliant than usual, and more like a delicate cygnet than a confident swan.  
“Not great,” Ann choked out as she cleared her throat. She whined a little, bringing her hand to her head. “I think I still have a fever.”  
Leslie checked. “You do. I’ll get you another ice pack.”

Once the ice pack was retrieved, along with a fresh glass of water, Leslie perched on the edge of the bed and put her hand on Ann’s knee.  
“Did you get any sleep?” she whispered. Ann nodded.  
“It was weird- I had a dream that I was running the parks department.”  
Leslie snorted. “Ann! While I believe you would do an interstellar job as head of the parks department, if you got the job as head before me, I’d be having some _serious_ words with Ron.”  
She said that last part through the side of her mouth, making Ann laugh.  
“I guess it was the fever,” Ann mused. Leslie made a sympathetic noise.  
“Hey, do you need anything else? Anything I can get you?”

Ann shook her head, smiling, so Leslie tucked her back in, placing the ice pack on her head. Once Ann was comfortable and the light was off, she walked to the doorway.  
“Goodnight, Ann. I love you.”  
“I love you too, Leslie. Thank you.”  
The two women smiled at each other, and Leslie closed the door over- not entirely, so she could keep an eye and ear on Ann. She then decided that maybe it was time she went to bed- or at least lay down for a while- since she had only just recovered from the flu herself.

Leslie lay down on the sofa, deciding to send a quick text to Ron to say that she had things handled for now. The fact that Ann was a nurse helped- she had told her almost straight away that it wasn’t anything too dangerous, just a cold. She didn’t need the hospital, she just needed to rest.  
Leslie knew that, unlike herself, Ann wouldn’t lie to prevent going to hospital. The beautiful Ann Perkins was too smart to do that, so instead she trusted her word that things were okay, and all she needed to do was be there in case something went wrong.

And if Leslie Knope was good at one thing, it was being there for her friends.

***

“Oh, Leslie, you could have shared the bed with me if you wanted to.”

Leslie opened her eyes to see Ann stood in front of her, looking groggy and wrapped in a blanket, but her eyes were wide. Leslie leapt up. “Ann! How are you feeling?”  
“Better,” Ann promised, before sitting down on the sofa. She reached her hand out and dragged Leslie down with her, so they were both squashed together on the couch.  
“That’s great!”  
“Leslie, you’re still in your work clothes. How much sleep did you actually get?”  
“Some!” Leslie shot back. There was no need to mention the fact that she was too anxious to sleep so spent most of the night listening out for Ann. When it hit seven am, however, she had finally managed to drift off.

Ann looked around the living room, amazed.  
“Leslie, it looks cleaner than when I moved in! Thank you so much.”  
“Any time!”  
Ann rested her head on Leslie’s shoulder, prompting Leslie to kiss her head.  
“Hey, so… um… that was sort of scary last night,” Leslie confided quietly.  
“I’m sorry” Ann murmured. “I didn’t know it would get that bad so quickly.”  
“I know!” Leslie blurted. “I just… I want to keep an eye on you for a while. Stick around here. If that’s okay? I don’t want to see you that bad again.”  
“Of course,” Ann replied, leaning in to rest her head on Leslie. “Stay as long as you like.”

Leslie was watching TV, with Ann asleep on her shoulder, when there was a low but distinct tapping at the door. Leslie slowly extracted herself from Ann, quickly placing a pile of cushions in her place and fixing the blanket around her, before hurrying to the door.  
She opened it to see Ron Swanson there, with a shopping bag. Ron glanced inside and saw Ann was asleep, but Leslie quietly shut the front door, leaving the two of them outside.

“Apologies,” Ron stated firmly. “Had I known the Nurse was asleep, I would have come back later.”  
“It’s fine, she’s been out a while. What are you doing here?”  
Ron said nothing, instead opting to hold out the bag, presenting it to Leslie like he would a dead pheasant, or a ticking time bomb.  
“What’s all this?” Leslie asked, surprised.  
“Just… odds and ends. I was doing my monthly stockpiling and I decided to pick up some extra things for you two.”  
Leslie squealed in happiness. “Aww, Ron!”  
Ron just grunted.

Leslie busied herself looking in the bag while Ron shifted from foot to foot.  
“How are you doing?” he asked finally. “You seemed quite… unnerved last night.”  
Leslie sighed heavily. “I don’t know, Ron. It was scary, to be honest.”  
Ron nodded slowly. He had had his experience with fainting and illness and the like; he knew how it felt to worry about a person. He knew that feeling of powerlessness.  
“I’m sure you had it under control. Is she feeling any better?”  
“I think so- her fever’s down and she’s napping on the couch. I haven’t heard her coughing this morning, either.”

Ron smiled a classic Swanson smile- one where it shone in his eyes rather than showed in his actual face. Leslie had always considered that more special than a regular smile- it felt more genuine.  
“You may just be the best nurse in Pawnee, Knope.”  
Leslie tutted fondly. “Don’t be ridiculous. The best nurse in Pawnee is right in there.”  
Ron just nodded again, before turning to leave. He was part way down the path before he turned around again.  
“Let me know if you need anything else.”  
“Thanks, Ron! It means a lot, really.”  
“Don’t mention it.”

***

Leslie unpacked the supplies which, as it turned out, were really quite useful. There were sweets for Ann’s sore throat, teabags, more paracetamol and two bottles of a Sweetums brand fizzy drink that was supposedly meant to pep you up when you were ill. Usually, Leslie didn’t trust Sweetums as far as she could throw one of the ultra-mega-choco-mallow chocolate bars (which wasn’t far at all) but they would probably do the trick for now.

She sent a quick text to Ben, briefly explaining the situation. He was, as always, incredibly cute, telling her just what she needed to hear (which was that she was doing a great job) before sending his best wishes to Ann.  
Leslie replied saying that she appreciated his concern, and a thank you, before she returned to the couch.

Ann was still asleep, and a quick check showed that her fever was down. Leslie placed some of the items on the coffee table before slowly removing the cushions and returning to her original seat, letting Ann lie on her lap now. It felt good to look after Ann. Leslie had always wanted to prove that she loved Ann more than the moon and stars, and at least this way she could even slightly make a difference.  
She was pondering the different types of “Get Well Soon” cakes she could make as her eyes slowly shut, and she finally managed to get some sleep.

***

Leslie jolted awake.  
“Hey,” Ann murmured, her head still on her lap. “You awake?”  
“Yeah,” Leslie said through a yawn, checking the time. “God, it’s been hours. How are you?”  
“Better now I know you’ve finally got some sleep,” Ann replied before sitting up and stretching. “What’s all this stuff on the table? Did you go shopping?”  
“Oh, no, Ron dropped this stuff off.”

Ann frowned at her. “Ron? Ron Swanson?”  
Leslie nodded. “Yep. He sends his best wishes. So does Ben.”  
“Huh. That’s incredibly sweet of him to do that.”  
“He has it in him, Ann! It’s just a shame he diverts most of his energy into hating the government, otherwise he’d be a total softie.”  
Ann laid back down and Leslie moved to check her temperature. She was still a little warm, so she extracted herself from the cuddle-pile to get a fresh ice pack.

“Are you okay by the way?” Ann called to her from the sofa. “Seems like you had a rough awakening there.”  
“Oh yeah I’m fine,” Leslie answered breezily as she returned. “Sit up for me?”  
Ann sat up, and Leslie sat down, before gently pulling Ann to her so she was leaning on her shoulder. Then she placed the ice pack on Ann’s head, who hummed in agreement with the cold temperature.  
“Yeah,” Leslie continued. “My body only lets me sleep in short spurts. Years of being, well… me, has made it quite hard for me to get longer than four hours at a time. Which is fine, really, because I don’t think I’d want to live any other way.”

Ann made a miserable sounding noise. “That makes me sad, Leslie. Even sadder than this cold is making me feel- which is pretty bad. I think my arms are made of lead.”  
Leslie pulled her closer, squeezing her in a tight hug. “Well, we can have lots of sleepovers once you’re better,” she promised. “And I’ll actually try and sleep for them.”  
“That’ll be the day,” Ann said with a laugh. “I’ve gotta say, you’ve been great. I’m really glad you’re here with me.” She paused to chuckle. “You may be the best nurse in Pawnee.”  
“Ron said that!” Leslie said indignantly. “When that’s obviously not true- you’re the most beautiful, amazing nurse in the whole world.”

Ann fell asleep soon after that conversation, so Leslie set about making dinner. Ann always had a well-stocked cupboard, and pretty soon she was cooking spaghetti bolognaise.  
The delicious smells coming from the kitchen must have woken up Ann, because it wasn’t long before her head popped up from the sofa.  
“Oh my goodness, that smells incredible!” she called as Leslie plated up the food.  
“The secret ingredient is just a _little_ bit of sugar,” Leslie replied honestly, walking over to her friend and putting the plate on a pillow on her lap. “And lots of vegetables, obviously. Got to get your strength up.”  
The two ate in silence, but then Ann fumbled with the remote, turning on the TV.  
“We can still have a movie night,” she explained once she had finished, putting the empty plate on the coffee table. “I might just fall asleep half-way through, sorry about that.”  
“It’s fine,” Leslie soothed, letting Ann return to resting on her shoulder. “Just focus on getting better. I’ll handle everything else.”

The next few days were spent with Ann relaxing, and Leslie going above and beyond to make sure her friend had everything she needed. By the end, Ann was forcing them to nap together on the couch, since it seemed the only way to get Leslie to power down.  
Ron made an appearance near the end of the weekend, so Ann was able to properly thank him for everything he had done.

“Not just for giving me supplies, but for being there for Leslie when she was stressed.”  
“Any time,” Ron replied earnestly. “Where is she, by the way?”  
Ann moved away from the doorway to reveal Leslie, who was quite dramatically sleeping on the couch, which one leg hanging off and her hair everywhere.  
Ron snorted. “I see.”  
“I know, right? She finally tired herself out. I’ve taken about fifteen pictures.”  
“Your house looks… immaculate,” Ron said, surprised. “Very much unlike her own home.”  
“She’s been great,” Ann added with a smile.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better,” Ron said, giving her a small smile.  
“I’m lucky I’ve had people there for me. Before I met you guys, sure I had Andy, but… well, let’s just say he’s done a lot of growing since then.”  
Ron nodded in agreement. “Well, you’ll always have that now. I think Leslie has made it her mission to show you how loved you are.”  
Ann smiled at him, and he left with one final wave.

When she quietly shut the door behind her, she took great comfort in being able to come and nestle down next to her best friend. She felt ninety percent better but being able to have these quiet moments was what truly made her feel better. It had been scary, but Ann knew that she would always have Leslie to look after her.  
If Leslie Knope was good at one thing, it was being there for her friends.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! :D


End file.
